The menu hovered in his mind like a divine offer, clear and quiet in the late afternoon haze.
___
[TP: 5]
UNLOCKED — Choose One Reward:
① +1 to Any Stat
② Random Bonus Feature
___
Noah stood still on the sidewalk as people streamed past him, unaware that something invisible and irreversible was happening.
His eyes drifted over the stat options:
___
✦ Luck: 2
✦ Confidence: 1
✦ Charisma: 1
✦ Financial Sense: 0
Passive: Empathy Sense (Basic)
___
Random Bonus Feature sounded tempting—mysterious, potentially powerful. But Noah wasn't a gambler. Not anymore.
He didn't want a miracle.
He wanted control.
He focused on one word.
"Confidence."
Instantly, a warmth pulsed through his chest—not burning, but steady, like breath filling lungs that had been half-empty for years.
The system confirmed it.
___
[+1 Confidence. New Total: 2]
Effects:
– Decreased hesitation in social scenarios
– Mild resistance to emotional fatigue
– Slightly improved posture and vocal tone
___
It didn't change the world around him. Not exactly.
But it changed how he stood in it.
And that made all the difference.
That night, Noah didn't go home.
Instead, he went to the public library near Franklin and 6th. It was quiet, mostly empty—a place where the city's lonely went to disappear into pages and screens. He found a study desk on the second floor and opened his laptop again.
He started building something.
Not just a spreadsheet this time.
A plan.
He began listing out types of purchases: gifts, help, services, spontaneous acts, direct support. He cross-referenced those with age ranges: early 30s to late 50s, based on what triggered TP. He included details—mood, urgency, how personal the gesture was.
The pattern was becoming clearer.
It wasn't just spending.
It was intention.
That's what the system rewarded.
When someone felt seen.
Noah leaned back in the library chair. A teenage boy shuffled by carrying a tower of books. A janitor hummed a soft tune in the back. The world outside the tall windows moved slowly, awash in the orange glow of streetlamps.
Noah whispered to himself.
"I can change everything with this."
And he meant it.
The next morning, something strange happened.
Noah had planned to stay in, recharge, maybe strategize.
But as he passed a mirror on the way to his small kitchen, he stopped.
Something about his reflection looked different.
He leaned in.
It wasn't drastic. But the way he carried himself—shoulders straighter, chin a little higher, eyes steadier—he felt different. Not better-looking. Not transformed.
But more... solid. Present.
Confidence 2. It wasn't magic. But it was momentum.
He went to Café Thara again—not for Sarah. He didn't expect to see her there. It wasn't their place anymore.
But he needed familiar ground. A place to test what came next.
He took a seat near the window.
This time, he didn't hunch. Didn't scroll his phone pretending to look busy.
He just watched.
Ten minutes passed.
Then a woman walked in.
She was in her late 30s, sharp black pantsuit, phone clutched to her ear. She looked irritated. Not in a loud way, but like the day had hit her in too many small ways, too early.
Noah listened, subtly, as she ordered.
"Just—whatever has caffeine. Double it."
He watched her glance toward the seating area, then pause, noticing there were no free tables.
He stood up.
"You can sit here," he said, calmly.
She looked at him. Narrowed her eyes slightly.
He didn't waver.
"I'm just finishing up. Take the spot. Coffee's better near the window anyway."
A pause.
Then she gave a short nod. "Thanks."
Noah didn't expect it to be worth anything.
But as he stepped away, the panel flickered.
___
[+0.5 TP — Gesture Recognized
Minor: Considerate Offer
___
It wasn't much.
But it was something.
That night, he returned to Morgan's bookstore. He had no reason. Just curiosity. Maybe even gratitude.
Morgan was there behind the counter, sorting receipts.
She looked up, smiled immediately. "Noah, right?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd check in. How's the heating pad?"
"A godsend," she said, rolling her eyes. "You might have saved me from chiropractic bankruptcy."
They both laughed softly. The store was empty except for a man reading near the poetry section.
"Want some tea?" she offered. "House blend. It's on me."
He hesitated, then accepted.
They talked for ten minutes. Not about the system. Not about Sarah. Just… books. Rain. How the city had gotten colder this year without really warning anyone.
Before he left, she handed him a tiny box wrapped in paper.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Old habit," she said. "When someone surprises me, I return the favor. Don't open it until you get home."
Back at his apartment, he unwrapped the box.
Inside was a pocket-sized notebook.
The first page had a note in careful cursive.
To keep track of where you're going.
– Morgan
The system chimed softly.
___
[+1 TP — Unexpected Reciprocity]
When you give genuinely, it sometimes gives back.
___
Noah held the notebook in his hands.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, finally, he sat down at his desk, turned to the first page, and wrote just three words.
"This is real."